US Marine Corps PFC Jacklyn "Jack" Lucas: Medal of Honor Recipient WWII

At just 17 years old, Private First Class Jacklyn Lucas became one of the youngest service members ever to receive the Medal of Honor. But his path to heroism was anything but ordinary. After lying about his age to join the Marines at just 14, Lucas would go on to defy the odds, stowing away on a ship to Iwo Jima, diving onto two grenades to save his fellow Marines, and miraculously surviving.  In this episode, we recount the astonishing bravery, sacrifice, and resilience of a young man who refused to wait to serve his country. This is the unforgettable story of Jacklyn Lucas, a true American hero. 

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Sources:

warhistoryonline.com 

military.com 

nationalww2museum.org 

wikipedia.org 

findagrave.com 

Transcript

Welcome back, everyone!  Before we dive into the story of the youngest serviceman to receive the Medal of Honor during WWII, I want to highlight the incredible heroism of U.S. Army Sergeant First Class Alwyn Cashe, whose actions saved the lives of his fellow soldiers.
This audio is from a short video we released on the Duty & Valor YouTube channel—be sure to check it out and subscribe for more stories like this one.

While serving as Platoon Sergeant with the 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, Sergeant First Class Alwyn Cashe was on a nighttime mounted patrol near a enemy-laden village in Iraq on Oct. 17, 2005, when his Bradley Fighting Vehicle was struck by enemy small-arms fire and a roadside bomb. The explosion disabled the vehicle and engulfed it in flames.
Though injured, SFC Cashe climbed out and immediately turned back to save his men. He rushed to the front of the burning vehicle, opened the hatch, and—alongside another soldier—pulled the severely burned driver to safety. While extinguishing the flames on the driver, SFC Cashe’s fuel-soaked uniform caught fire, causing catastrophic burns across his body.
Despite the intense pain, SFC Cashe pressed on. Under enemy fire, he made his way to the rear of the vehicle to aid more of his soldiers. When a nearby U.S. element returned fire, SFC Cashe seized the opportunity, entered the troop compartment, and pulled out four more wounded men.
Realizing two soldiers were still unaccounted for, he went back into the burning vehicle a second time. Reinforcements soon arrived to secure the area and establish a casualty collection point. Even then, SFC Cashe stayed focused on his men—encouraging them and ensuring they received care. When medevac helicopters arrived, he refused evacuation until every one of his soldiers had been airlifted first.
Suffering from second- and third-degree burns over most of his body, SFC Alwyn Cashe was eventually flown to Fort Sam Houston in Texas, where he fought for life for more than three weeks. On November 8, 2005, he succumbed to his wounds.
For his actions that saved the lives of seven of his soldiers, SFC Alwyn Cashe was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor on Dec. 16, 2021. 

Like I said earlier, if you’re into these shorter stories with photos and video clips, check out the Duty & Valor YouTube channel.

On February 20, 1945, during the Battle of Iwo Jima, a 17-year-old Marine would make a split-second decision that would forever define the meaning of valor.
Private First Class Jacklyn “Jack” Lucas, barely more than a boy, became the youngest Marine in U.S. history to receive the Medal of Honor.
This is his story.

Jacklyn, who would go by “Jack” was born in Plymouth, NC on Feb. 14, 1928 to parents Lewis and Margaret Lucas.  When Jack was just 10 years old his father, a tobacco farmer, died.  Not long after Jack sent to the Edwards Military Institute in Salemburg, NC.  There Jack excelled in sports and was the captain of the school's football team.  In addition to football, he also participated in baseball, basketball, boxing and wrestling, among other sports. 
When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, Jack was just 13 years old, but he was itching to join the war effort.  After months of waiting, Jack devised a plan.  He entered a Marine Corps Reserve office in Norfolk, VA in August 1942 to enlist.  As he was too young to enlist, he had to forge documents and bribe a notary to falsely say that he was 17 years old.
Jack was sent to Paris Island, SC for recruit training where he completed training and qualified as a sharpshooter at the age of 14.  After this he was assigned to the Marine barracks at NAS Jacksonville in FL, then to the 21st Replacement Battalion at Marine Corps Air Station New River, NC and a month later he was at Camp Lejeune for training as a heavy machine gun crewman. 
From there he, and his unit,  were sent to San Diego for further training and then sent to Pearl Harbor, HI where he was assigned to the V Amphibious Corps.  
He was promoted to PFC, but while there it was discovered that he had lied about his age.  He had sent a letter to his girlfriend where it was read by military censors, who realized he was only 15 years old.  As punishment, he was forced to be a truck driver on the Marine Corps base there.  
During his time in Hawaii, he was continually in trouble.  He got into bar fights, went absent without leave, or AWOL, and assaulted a Military Policeman when he attempted to take the case of beer that PVT Lucas was carrying through the barracks.  He was subsequently sentenced to five months in the stockade, though I couldn’t find how long he actually served.
As the war raged on, PVT Lucas wasn’t happy driving a truck when others were being sent off to fight.  He repeatedly asked to be sent to the front lines, but he was denied each time.  But given his behavior to this point, it is no surprise that he decided to get himself into combat one way or another.
On Jan. 10, 1945, PVT Lucas walked away from his camp carrying boots and fatigues.  He then stowed away on a victory ship heading to the Japanese held Iwo Jima.    
The day prior to being officially listed as a deserter, PVT Lucas turned himself into Captain Rober Dunlap on Feb. 8th.  Captain Dunlap, who would go on to be awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions at Iwo Jima, was the commanding officer of Company C, 1st Battalion, 26th Marines, 5th Marine Division. 
Once reported to the battalion’s commanding officer, LT COL Daniel Pollock, he assigned PVT Lucas to Captain Dunlap’s company as a rifleman and demoted Lucas to a private.


Just days before the start of the Battle of Iwo Jima, PVT Lucas turned 17.  
Though not part of the initial assault by the 5th Marine Division, the 26th Regiment set foot on Iwo Jima on Feb. 19, 1945.
The following day, PVT Lucas was part of a four man fire team that was moving towards a Japanese airstrip.  Their movements were soon discovered by an enemy pillbox which opened fire on them.  To avoid the heavy fire, the four Marines jumped into a nearby trench.  
Not far away, 11 Japanese soldiers were occupying a trench and the two sides started firing on each other.  During the firefight, PVT Lucas shot two enemy soldiers, but his gun jammed.  He then lowered himself into the trench and began to work on clearing the jam.  As the only Marine not firing on the enemy, he was the only one to spot two grenades which landed in their midst. 
After yelling “Grenade”, PVT Lucas acted.  He quickly pushed one grenade into the soft volcanic ash with his rifle and threw himself onto it and pulled the other under his body as well.  
One of the two grenades detonated and threw him onto his back where he lay gravely wounded.  The three other Marines looked over and knew that no one could survive such a blast and left PVT Lucas alone as they continued their assault.         
PVT Lucas had been hit by approximately 250 pieces of shrapnel and sustained wounds to his right arm, wrist, leg, thigh, and chest.  Miraculously though, it didn’t kill him.
He was found barely conscious and still holding the unexploded grenade in his left hand when another Marine Corps unit was passing his position.  A nearby Navy corpsman was called over and he was able to stabilize PVT Lucas for his transport to the beach where he would be evacuated to a ship later that night. 
He was then moved to the hospital ship USS Samaritan where he underwent the first of 26 surgeries to remove the shrapnel embedded in his body.  The surgeries were only partially successful and PVT Lucas still had about 200 pieces of shrapnel in his body.
Following his actions at Iwo Jima, the Marine Corps removed from his records any mention of unauthorized absences. 
On Sep. 18, 1945, Jack Lucas was promoted back to PFC and was discharged due to his injuries.  Weeks later on Oct. 5, PFC Jack Lucas was at White House for a ceremony where he was presented the Medal of Honor by President Harry Truman.  In addition to PFC Lucas, three sailors and 10 other Marines were also awarded the Medal of Honor, including his company commander, Capt. Robert Dunlap.  At the age of just 17, Jack Lucas is the youngest serviceman to receive the Medal of Honor during WWII and the youngest Marine to receive it ever. 
In 1961, Jack Lucas joined the Army as a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division and volunteered to fight in Vietnam, though this request was denied.  He spent four years in the Army and attained the rank of Captain.
After leaving military service behind him for good, Jack Lucas started a chain of successful butcher shops in Maryland.  
In 1977, the Maryland State Police discovered a plot by his second wife and stepson to have Jack killed.  The two had solicited an undercover officer to kill Jack and they were arrested.  The two pleaded guilty but were only sentenced to probation after Jack asked the court to show them mercy.
Jack Lucas lived a long life and passed away at the age of 80 on June 5, 2008.  He is buried at Highland Cemetery in Hattiesburg, MS.
In 2023 the Navy commissioned the Arliegh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Jack H. Lucas in his honor. 
Jack Lucas didn’t wait for permission to serve.  He enlisted in the Marine Corps at just 14, driven by a sense of duty beyond his years. At Iwo Jima, he proved that courage isn’t measured by age and showed the world what true selflessness looks like. 

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To read more about this week’s hero, check out the sources used in today's episode in our show notes and at dutyandvalor.com.
Remember, we release new episodes on the Duty & Valor YouTube channel on Fridays at 5 pm. On our channel, we also release YouTube shorts that highlight our Nation’s heroes, many of whom haven’t been featured on the show yet.
Please join us for our next episode, where we'll be sharing the inspiring story of another American hero who served with pride and lived with humility.